City Works (Market Square - Pittsburgh) — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

Visit to City Works Pittsburgh on August 30, 2024. This review is based on a scale where 1 star is poor, 3 stars is average, and 5 stars is exceptional. City Works Pittsburgh, on this occasion, was nothing short of exceptional.

Rating: 5/5

My recent visit to City Works Pittsburgh on August 30, 2024, was yet another outstanding experience that solidifies why I keep coming back. While attending the Soul Food Festival in Downtown Pittsburgh, a sudden rainstorm drove us indoors, and we decided to take refuge at City Works Pittsburgh. Although I've dined here multiple times, this is my first review of the location.

From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with the warm and welcoming atmosphere that City Works is known for. The large, airy dining area with its sleek, modern design and ample seating creates a comfortable environment for both social gatherings and relaxed meals. The numerous large screens, all showing a variety of sports, add to the lively ambiance. The rain pattering on the expansive glass ceiling only added to the cozy, safe feeling of the space.

We were seated promptly and introduced to our server, Kaitlynn G., who deserves a special mention for her professionalism and genuine care. Before taking our order, Kaitlynn asked if anyone in our party had any food allergies—a thoughtful question that many overlook. One of my guests has a tree nut allergy, and Kaitlynn was diligent in ensuring that the meal was safe for them, even involving the manager to double-check. This kind of proactive and attentive service is rare and truly appreciated.

We ordered the Blackened Salmon Salad and Mahi Tacos, and to our pleasant surprise, the food arrived within 10 minutes—impressive speed, especially during a busy lunch hour. The presentation was top-notch, with the vibrant colors and fresh ingredients making the dishes look as good as they tasted. The salmon was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, while the Mahi Tacos were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with flavor. The portion sizes were generous and well worth the price.

Speaking of cost, our meal was somewhat over priced at $41.59 for two dishes, given the quality and portion sizes. The added 3% surcharge bumps-up the cost if you pay by credit card, which is noted on the receipt. Having the customer take up the cost of the business transaction using plastic does not add any additional taste value for the exceptional service and delicious food.

Kaitlynn, along with her manager, checked in with us after the food was served to ensure everything was satisfactory, which was another level of customer care that really stood out. The entire team at City Works made us feel like more than just customers—they made us feel like family.

My thoughts, City Works Pittsburgh deserves a solid 5-star rating for this visit. The atmosphere is inviting, the service is exemplary, and the food is both delicious and well-priced. Whether you're escaping a rainstorm or just looking for a great meal, City Works Pittsburgh is the place to be. I recommend this restaurant for you to try out...

(Last visited 11/17/2021.) Working in Pittsburgh for the week and staying downtown I went on the search for something good! So I did some Yelp'ing and landed on this place! Allow me to tell you how things went!

Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right downtown but set away from the business district nestled between in what I like to call "restaurant row" is this gem. There isn't much to the exterior of this place besides some outdoor seating, but inside is where it's at. It's HUGE in here! Like, unbelievably spacious and open. The hosts stand is right at the front doors, but then you take a few steps down into the bar area. If you keep walking straight or to the right you enter the dining area which stretches all the way back toward the street where there are giant windows in order for you to people-watch properly. Lol. I chose to sit at the bar and hang out! It was so lively in here and seemed like such a great place to gather after work or even have celebrations!

Service: Marissa, Marty and Vanasia took care of me. Something seemed to be bothering Marty so that's why the other 2 ladies stepped in. They were my team of bartenders who were friendly, flirty, smiley and just made me feel so welcomed and comfortable hanging out there.

Food: Throughout my dining experience here I had the chance to check out 4 different beers, all on tap and I must say their on-tap menu is extensive. My favorite was the Dragon's Milk though. Thick, oat-y, a bit heavy, a lil' sweet and most-of-all, strong. For dinner I went with the BBQ Platter. This consisted of grilled corn, a kielbasa-like sausage (I can't remember exactly, just going off of my pictures/memory), some pulled pork, smoked ribs and smoked chicken wings served with a side of beans as well. I must say, it was a surprise seeing they had such a platter in the middle of a downtown like this. Usually food like that is reserved for shacks sitting out in the middle of nowhere. Lol. It wasn't the best BBQ I've ever had, but it was quite solid. With the platter came a side of butter for the corn, a dijon honey mustard and some other type of BBQ sauce. I enjoyed the sauce that was actually served on the ribs over what was served on the side.

Value: Dragon's Milk (Beer) = $8.50 Golden Monkey (Beer) = $5.50 Sour Monkey (Beer) = $7.50 Troegenator (Beer) = $5.00 BBQ Platter = $29.00 I think this place offers great value for what you can experience here. The lovely atmosphere, the great service, the good food and yeah! Lol. I think this place is a good value.

In conclusion, now that I know this is a chain of restaurants, I don't have to visit another one in a different location. I definitely recommend checking this place out for yourself though!

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Warning: if you have a food allergy or dietary restriction, do not come to this restaurant! We are extremely unhappy and disappointed with our experience at City Works yesterday evening. We specifically selected this restaurant for their gluten free hamburger bun options on their menu due to the dietary restrictions of our son. We let the waitress know twice while ordering that it had to be the gluten free bun. For his side options, she also told us that the chips and salsa were gluten free and she believed the fries were, too. We said in that case, we need the one that’s definitely GF so we ordered him the chips. The food arrived (which did take a while) and his hamburger bun looked exactly like that of our other son; when we asked the waitress if it was gluten free, she said it was not. We explained another hamburger needed to be made and it has to be the bun we ordered. At this point our son was very upset and hungry, so we let him have the chips and salsa our other son had on his plate. When the waitress came back out with a drink refill, she then told us that the chips and salsa were in fact not gluten free nor were the fries. Unfortunately he had already consumed the chips. When my husband indicated how disappointing this all was, she rudely replied with “things happen.” No, things shouldn’t happen when it’s communicated very openly that we have a gluten allergy. Special care should be given, and since this restaurant offers the gluten free options they should be aware of how important it is to follow the requests of the orders placed. We asked for the waitress to at least comp our son’s order since it is now completely wrong and she said yes, she would. We also asked for the check so we could exit after we ate. A manager now came over to apologize and we again explained we specifically chose the restaurant for the GF options available and it was frustrating that our order was not followed. Our son’s new meal eventually came out; we continued eating even though every one was upset. Our waitress took about fifteen minutes to bring the check. They did comp us for a gluten free hamburger but after further review of the bill, they had charged us for an extra hamburger (three instead of two) so the comp ultimately meant nothing. I sincerely hope this was not done on purpose. We showed the manager who corrected it. If you have a gluten allergy, I would advise against dining at this restaurant since they do not seem to take the dietary restrictions seriously and the attitudes of the waitress and the manager are not apologetic about...